IPhones get free Wi-Fi at Starbucks, other AT&T hotspots

AT&T has teased us before about granting iPhone users free Wi-Fi access at its 17,000 hotspots. But now it looks like it’s official.

The phone carrier said today iPhone users will be able to easily jump on to its Wi-Fi network, which are found Starbucks, Barnes & Noble and many other locations. BlackBerry Bold users will get the same access, as long as they have an unlimited data plan. Other BlackBerry devices with Wi-Fi will get similar access later this year.

You might recall in July that AT&T announced just such a service for iPhone users only to yank it, saying the announcement on its website was premature. Well, now it’s ready to go, which is a nice-to-have for iPhone and BlackBerry users. AT&T said it will also be making its way to other mobile devices sometime next year.

In other AT&T news, the carrier said it has expanded the number of handsets that can access Napster Mobile. The music download service is now available on more than 25 of its handsets, covering more than 13 million customers. Napster Mobile gives AT&T the ability to offer a catalog of more than 6 million songs to customers for over-the-air downloads.